I began my Christian walk as a child going to  St Martins Church  Lincoln road ,with my family. It was rather unique area really- Church on one side- Hotel across the road- and a Mental Hospital near by.  Kinda like- make im- break im- mend im.  At 14 being confirmed by Bishop Warren- and thankfully not going off the rails thru my teenage years.
    From there we moved to Lincoln where my father bought a farm, and I worked for him when I left school. I married while there and had 4 children. During this time I served for a year or two on the vestry at the Lincoln Anglican Church.
    My father retired, which lead me to buy a farm at Lyndhurst-near Methven, which involved a 24km round trip to attend church.
    After 12 years there sold the farm, and bought a glasshouse property in Bowenvale ave. So in 1982 came to St.Augustine's for the first time. There were two services 8 and 10am - we attended the 10am as a family-there was very little interaction- then went home.
    My next move was to Halswell.and there attended St.Mary's Church.  Some of the worst and best days of my life. While there I lost my wife to cancer aged 52 years- really shook my foundations for a time. Then the good. God sent a wonderful Christian woman across my path-to keep me going down the right road. Change was afloat.  In due course we married and moved to a new property in Rossmore Tec, where we live today.  
    Thus leading me back to St.Augs.in 1997- in time to see the Church morphing into the vibrant and growing Church you see today. At this stage of my life you could sum up- that I had attended church most of my life- listened to 100's of sermons-and probably called myself a Christian- all the while skirting around the edges peering in and not joining in and receiving the full measure.
    That all changed for me when St.Augs. introduced Alpha programme, We attended one Alpha which was life changing for me. It covered most of the aspects of the Christian message. This was the time I gave my life to Christ and received the Holy Spirit into my life - a truly moving experience. Going from Head knowledge to Heart knowledge.  We are blessed that we have a very patient God - as it is not when you come in - rather that you do indeed come into his presence.  I have since helped on Alpha's and to see members commit to Christ is  most amazing and exciting to be part of.
    I now have become involved- serving in differing roles- sidesperson- joined the prayer ministry team- reader- and assist Kevin in the pre marriage course when required.
    So as a kiwi bloke I appeal to you-don't just skirt around the edges peering in- come on in and receive the full measure- You will be blessed a thousand times over.             

Earlier this year I re-read "The Power of the Blood" by Maxwell White.  It is a wonderfully encouraging and exciting account of the power of the blood of Jesus to cleanse and heal.  (I return to re-read it every so often.)

This time, I'd just finished it, when an abscess threatened in my upper-jaw.  I was very worried, not only by the discomfort, but by the possibility of having to loose yet another tooth.  (I'm 78 and have already lost quite a few).  So encouraged by what I'd just read, I put my hand over the sore area and reverently and symbolically prayed the blood of Jesus over it.  The pain stopped!  It's hard to put into words how I felt - I was so full of gratitdude and praise and awe.

Next day it threatened to return, so I kept praying the same way and the pain went and didn't come back!  About two months later it was time for a routine dental check-up, and I know the dentist would ask if I'd had any problems.  So I told her about the potential abscess, and that I'd prayed about it, and how it had gone.  She didn't sound convinced and said I should have an x-ray anyway.  They said they would get in touch if the x-ray showed anything needing to be done.  I've not ever heard back from them and that was months ago.

 To say that I'm filled with awe and joyful thanks is an understatement.

Recently I attended a Remembrance Day Service for the Kiwanis International Canterbury District. Kiwanis is a community Service Group of which my husband is a member.
It was a lovely service, format including music,lighting candle, saying The Lords Prayer, remembering past Kiwanians and so on until we came to Recollections theme being "Seize the Moment", where upon different people were asked to share something perhaps where they wished they had taken the opportunity and for what ever reason, chose to let it go bye.

I was enjoying listening to others sharing when suddenly my name was called out next.  Thinking it was only members that were going to be asked, I hadn't anything prepared.   However, I sat for a moment and a thought came to mind "what would Jesus have me say?" and this what came.

I said “The most important thing to me is "Relationships".  It started for me when I was much younger, when I formed a relationship with my Heavenly Father.  Over the course of the years to come, I have experienced many hard and difficult things, but through it all I have been sustained. By faith I have been guided and enabled to forgive and make right choices, along the way.
So here I am today among this group of caring people, "seizing the moment" ”.
 
Later as we were throwing flowers over the bridge into the river in remembrance of past fellow Kiwanians and loved ones, several people came and expressed their appreciation of what I had shared.

It was also an encouragement to me, that when I was put on the spot, Gods grace was sufficient for me and I was enabled to share the reality of that which is dearest to my heart.